


What Comes After

by 11yeong1



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Angst, Just angst, Lesson 16 (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!) Spoilers, Other, Sad Mammon aha, also bad writing, gender neutral reader!, kind of rushed the ending uhh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:47:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24089122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/11yeong1/pseuds/11yeong1
Summary: “You know what?” Mammon stares at Lucifer. “When you froze my card, I acted like it was the end of the world for me. Damn, look at me now.”No one answered. No one had the strength. They all just let Mammon say what he needed to say.“Wow…” Mammon weakly chuckles before his fake mirth melted into a breakdown. “I’m a different kind of broke now!” Mammon said in a voice that was meant to be sarcastic but he couldn’t keep up the act and suddenly broke into harsher sobs.
Relationships: Main Character/Mammon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)
Comments: 49
Kudos: 241





	What Comes After

**Author's Note:**

> please leave comments after you read!! i wanna know what you think

Today marked the third day since Diavolo had given MC a “special task” and had ordered Barbatos to send MC to the past to discover how Belphegor escaped the attic despite needing all 6 of the brothers’ powers to bypass the force cast upon the room to make it impossible for Belphegor to leave.

Heaving a deep sigh, Satan threw his head back in annoyance before glaring at his older brother. “Perhaps you might sit down instead of walking around like this?” He said as he watched Mammon walk in and out of the dining area over the past 2 hours since they all woke up to have breakfast.

> “Seriously, Mammon, watching you is exhausting me.” Asmodeus groaned, facial expression twisting into a look of exhaustion. “Do you want to leave the room or do you want to sit down?”

Asmo felt his anxiety grow rapidly as he worked on suppressing his own worries all the while watching his brother slowly unravel as the days pass by with MC still not returning from wherever it was they were now. Even thinking about MC possibly getting lost in time made Asmo feel sick to his stomach and he didn’t enjoy feeling this way. Aside from the fact that he was beginning to understand less and less about time travel the more he thought about it, he felt worried about what MC could be doing while he sat here barely getting his mind around things. Asmo felt like wrinkles were settling into his skin and carrying such bad energy in itself made him feel ugly.

Figuratively and literally.

Not to mention that it has been 3 whole days of Leviathan trying to distract himself with his games and new Ruri-chan content being posted online but not one of those instances has been a success. If anything, it just irked him even more that he can’t even get distracted by the things he would do everyday like clockwork and before he knew it, he felt itchy all over and even more frustrated. This was something Asmo noticed in his brother because… well, how could he not? Whenever he passed by Levi’s room, Asmo would hear the groans in annoyance and the chucking of a controller across the room.

On any other day, Asmo would have probably gone into the room to check on his brother but when was the last time he did just that? He hasn’t done that in a long time. Or he did not have to anymore because...

Well, that job had fallen onto MC.

Satan observed Mammon further as the older demon wordlessly made his way back to his seat. Reaching for the silverware he did not even bother to touch at first, Mammon started picking apart his breakfast with much focus that it made Beelzebub feel bad for the food on his plate. He didn’t even know he could feel anything like that for food and yet here he was, eyes glued on his brother’s hand maneuvering through the fibres of meat with a fork.

> “I can’t blame him; we’ve been sitting here for hours.” Levi whined. “Yesterday, we sat here for longer. Please do something, Lucifer.”

Heads now turned towards the oldest who they didn’t even realize was watching Mammon like they all were which made everyone even more worried. They’d never seen Lucifer look at Mammon like that before. Sure, they’ve seen him worried over other things, over other persons, but never worried over Mammon. Levi silently thought to himself--wished, really--that Mammon should do something stupid so Lucifer can scold him and the tension would break and perhaps the familiarity would put some things back into place.

Truthfully, Lucifer was thinking the same thing, but feeling the weight of the stare of his brothers, he knew he had to say something. It could be anything if only it could get a reaction from Mammon.

> “Don’t be a child playing with your food.” Lucifer scolded.

With that, Mammon slams the fork down on the table which makes Asmo flinch and Levi back into his seat. He can’t take it. He can barely hear himself think let alone that echo of MC’s voice in his head that he always hears whenever MC is calling on him from someplace else. And God, the things he would do just to hear MC summon him again. He won’t even complain about having to travel all the way to where they are. He just needs to hear their voice. Mammon doesn’t need his brothers talking, talking, and talking…

Finally, Mammon looks up from his plate and meets gazes with Lucifer who seemed annoyed with his rising tantrum. Today must be the day of approaching things the opposite of how they would usually which is why Lucifer does not even flinch when Mammon suddenly yells instead of getting scared and submitting.

> “Just let me talk to Diavolo!” Mammon says. “Do you expect me to make this last a week? You’re not seriously thinking that, right?”

Lucifer frowns at Mammon. It wasn’t as if Mammon was the only one who had such thoughts. Three days was too much wait indeed. None of them have even received any updates or anything at all from both Diavolo and Barbatos. If it were up to Lucifer, he himself would march up to Diavolo and lay down what he wanted to happen. And yet, the only thing that keeps him from doing what he really wanted to do is himself and his duty to Diavolo.

The thought grounds Lucifer and reminds him of his place like it always does. “I understand--”

> “I should have…! Diavolo should have let me come with MC! And you know that, Lucifer.” Mammon continues to rage on, turning to his brothers who all had their heads bowed. “Y-You all know how I feel, right?” Mammon asks, voice croaking.

They could all feel how agitated their brother was. They could hear it in how loud and yet nervous Mammon’s voice was whenever he spoke to them. They could all see it in how he would walk a little slower whenever he would pass by MC’s room, perhaps hoping MC would suddenly burst through the doors. The other brothers won’t say it out loud nor show it but they did the very same thing, too.

> “I _understand,_ ” Lucifer repeats. “But please, for now, just eat your food. You’re making Beel sick.”

Disbelieving, Mammon just scoffs in an effort to expel his frustrations in another way. He smiles a little at the thought of Beel actually throwing up something he’d put in his mouth for once. He looks over to Beelzebub, pushing his still full plate in his direction. “Well, here, go treat it better.”

It doesn’t really surprise anyone at the table when Beel reaches for the plate but they all collectively make surprised noises when they realize that he was just trying to push it back towards Mammon. “Eat.” is all that Beelzebub says but Asmodeus felt his chest tighten.

Mammon only nods, a little guilty because he knows Beel must be worried about him so much that he’s even turning down food that he is being offered willingly. Mammon nervously laughs while making for the silverware again. In all honesty, his throat is burning from wanting to yell out even more arguments to Lucifer but for the sake of his brothers, he will not be starting _that_ ruckus right now. But in his mind, he’s gotten up from his seat again and yelled out a stream of rebuttals and reasons why he should be allowed to demand for MC’s return.

Or at least to be with them.

And luckily, although unsurprisingly, he’s not the only one who wants to say something. 

> “I think we should go see Diavolo.” Satan says suddenly.

Leviathan chokes on air from gasping harder than he intended. This isn’t the first time Satan has outspokenly acted against what Lucifer was trying to implement but strangely, for once, he was surprised. He was expecting Satan to see that this was one of the situations wherein Lucifer can’t really help but be in but he would be lying to himself if he didn’t internally thank Satan for not meeting his expectations.

> “Mammon is right as much as I hate to say it.” Satan continues. “I also can’t let this last for a week--nor wait that long!”
> 
> “Me neither.” Asmodeus chimes in, feeling a sudden surge of confidence which makes him overcome the bad feeling he was experiencing moments ago. “MC needs us, you know?”

> “I think Lucifer knows all that.” Beel speaks up with a more than serious tone. “I’m sure if he could, he’d give us what we want.”

Mammon looks from Beelzebub to Lucifer, measuring the look that they shared with each other. He really wished he could afford to be as patient as Beel in this moment but even now, he’s still struggling to sit still. He just wants MC to come out of whatever door they went through and come back to him… to _them_. Mammon misses his human and he can’t afford to deny that anymore.

Before Mammon remembers to check himself, he finds himself chucking out all resolve out the window as he stands again, shaking his head. “Whether you allow me or not, I’m going, Lucifer.”

> “Mammon--”

> “No!” Mammon cuts Lucifer off for the second time. “When MC first came here, you entrusted them to me, didn’t you?!”

Leviathan frowns. He _does_ remember that. He even remembers coming for Mammon in front of MC about his stolen money when Mammon was busy showing MC around.

> “ _I_ was the most reliable one here to take care of a human, right? You said that!” Mammon was beginning to let his desperation spill but he didn’t care anymore. “Let me do my job, Lucifer. For once, I want to do what you want me to do so let me…”

Mammon could feel himself sink deeper into the gaping pit of guilt that was slowly forming inside him. Remembering MC’s first day in Devildom and how he was tasked to take care of them supplied him with even more reason as to why he should have been allowed to come with MC on their special task. _Damn Diavolo!_ Mammon thought, _And damn him so much I wish he could hear me curse him in my thoughts!_

Asmo whimpers beside Satan. He agrees with Mammon so much now that Mammon has used something Lucifer said against Lucifer himself. Asmo silently wishes Satan would say something again because the look that Lucifer was giving Mammon was so heavy that he felt like getting on his knees to yield and apologize. But all that Satan could feel at the moment were the goosebumps forming all over his body as he watched Mammon not even get fazed by Lucifer. He was seeing an entirely different side to Mammon that they rarely ever saw.

Mammon held his fists to his sides, tightly clenching, eyes trained on Lucifer who looked up at him matching his own glare. 

Beelzebub looked on, feeling a bit proud of Mammon. When Mammon gets like this, it’s easier to remember that he’s the second most powerful demon in all of Devildom and therefore much older than he was. Beel could smell it in the air--Mammon stepping up to act according to his rank. But what truly made him admire Mammon in this moment was his control over his powers, not even once transforming into his demon form to prove himself.

To Mammon’s luck, the look he held was enough for Lucifer to change his mind.

* * *

Arriving at the Demon Lord’s Castle the next day made Mammon feel like he was dreaming. He’s daydreamed about this exact moment so many times the past few days; rehearsing what he would say to Diavolo and Barbatos, starting with “Bring MC back!” and then actually getting MC back by the end of the day. Mammon felt his heart hammering against his chest. Maybe that’s why his chest feels warm from the inside, he thinks to himself. Looking up at the entirety of the castle, Mammon can’t help but sprint up to the doors, eager to get the talking over with so they could all start working on getting MC safely back to them.

_Back to him._

> “Only the Celestial Realm collapsing in on Devildom could stop him now.” Levi says to Satan.

As soon as Mammon made it through the door, the Future Demon King appeared in front of him which made him stumble back and bump into Beel who was walking behind him. Mammon had half the mind to interpret the stoic expression Diavolo was giving him as annoyance except that 2 seconds later, Diavolo replaced it with a welcoming smile.

> “So, you’re all here again!” Diavolo greets. “I honestly can’t say I didn’t know that this would happen. Right, Barbatos?”

> “Indeed.” Barbatos smiled small. But of course, Barbatos saw that this would happen already.
> 
> “Lord Diavolo,” Lucifer walks around Mammon and greets Diavolo back. “I’m sure you’re aware why we’re here.”

Diavolo holds his smile for a few more seconds as he greets the brothers before going back to the stoic expression he wore when Mammon first came in. This shift throws Lucifer off. He clenches and unclenches his gloved hand swiftly in order to hide his disorientation. Lucifer doesn’t know whether to be alarmed by this reaction or comforted because it would mean that there _is_ something to tell them about MC and the probability of it being bad news is making him worried.

> “I am." Diavolo sighs. "It's about MC."

This time, Mammon speaks up before the rest of them do. "I want them back. That's all I came here to say."

> "I'm sure." Diavolo says, fully understanding the brothers’ worries and reason for coming over. "But I'm afraid that will be difficult." He finishes. _Difficult to say._

Mammon's heart drops to his feet. What does that mean? _What's so difficult?_ Wasn’t it as simple as just going back in time to when they sent MC to the past and stop them from going through with it? I mean, is finding out how Belphie escaped the attic _that_ much more important than MC’s safety? For crying out loud, they sent them alone. That much isn’t different from when they first got dragged to Devildom at all.

> “What are you saying?” Mammon asked.
> 
> “Ugh... I’m not liking the sound of this.” Asmodeus said.
> 
> Barbatos chuckles at Asmodeus’s comment. “What Lord Diavolo is saying is that it’s impossible to get MC back.”

Lucifer’s eyes widened. He’s submitted to 5 seconds of surprise but was able to regain it once Mammon steps forward. Lucifer pulls him back, hand wrapping around his brother’s arm tightly. He looks down on his hand when he feels Mammon’s skin get hot. _He’s not losing control is he?_ Lucifer asks himself internally.

Mammon is known to be the most patient out of all them. Sure, he’s always backed into a corner by his brothers, having himself be the one picked on the most, but never has he ever lashed out against them. He’s never exposed his demon form to his brothers to appear menacing or to purposefully threaten them into backing away or anything like that. Never. So when Lucifer takes note of the rise of Mammon’s temperature and the way he was trembling, his worry just further increases.

> “Don’t kid around now, Barbatos.” Mammon huffs. “Nothing is impossible at this point.”

Barbatos admires what seems like Mammon’s optimism but he can taste it in the atmosphere in the castle that it’s not optimism but _desperation_ that Mammon has.

> “Truthfully,” Barbatos sighs. “I wish there was a better way to tell all of you the news but it seems we’ve made you wait longer than you can bear, Mammon.”

Mammon feels like he wants to cry or scream. He gets that everyone calls him _Stupidmammon_ and thinks he’s dense and slow but when it comes to MC, they don’t even know or understand how quick his brain acts. And so, he puts the pieces together much faster than Satan who’s the most well-read out of all of them.

> “They're not…” Mammon trails off. He’d be lying if he didn’t, at one point, think that it would happen but… “No, they’re not.” Mammon says, whether he’s reassuring the others or himself, he doesn’t know.

> “What do you mean, Mammon?” Levi asks.

_What_ do _I mean?_ Mammon quizzes himself internally. _Am I really thinking that they’re dead?_ But he’s MC’s first so he knows that MC is alive because he can feel it in his chest that they’re still connected. It’s still there--that figurative thread that ties him to them. That was the very same thread that MC plucks when they need Mammon to come for them, beckoning him to come and be with them.

Of course, Mammon can feel it; it’s connected to his heartstrings after all.

> At this point, Lucifer catches on, too. “Do you know how?” He asks Barbatos.

> “I’m telling you they’re not _dead_!” Mammon reels, tugging his arm from Lucifer’s hold. “They’re not… I feel it… I can feel them.” He murmurs to himself.

Mammon’s statement makes Asmodeus gasp and turn to Satan whose brows furrow deep. Satan thinks to himself that it would be impossible for MC to die since they’re only sending them to the past. What would kill MC in the past that didn’t kill them in the present before they left to travel back in time? The question itself made Satan’s head ache to no end. It just didn’t make any sense.

> “Well, you’re right, Mammon. MC isn’t dead.” Barbatos hums. “But at the same time, they are.”
> 
> “That doesn’t make any sense…” Levi frowns.
> 
> “I’m sure it doesn’t, Levi,” Diavolo sighs. “But please, why don’t we all find a more comfortable place to talk?”

Watching his brothers collectively make unsatisfied noises while Mammon remained silent and unmoving made Lucifer frustrated. He wants to make this better for them… for Mammon, but he doesn’t know where to begin.

> “Lord Diavolo, I don’t mean to be rude when I say this but,” Lucifer weighs his words. “Please tell us what exactly happened with MC. Now.”

Diavolo frowns and shares a look with Barbatos. They’ve both talked about this during the few days that passed since MC went on their special task. They both decided that there’s really no way to break the news without the brothers lashing out or giving violent reactions. But despite this certainty, nothing truly prepared both of them for the real thing.

And so, Barbatos tells them exactly what happened.

Mammon listens intently, drowning out every other sound save for Barbatos’s voice. When Barbatos tells them that MC successfully made it to the past in one piece, Mammon’s heart skips a beat. _That’s a good human…_ he thinks. When Barbatos tells them that MC got caught by the past versions of the brothers while they hid from the other MC in an effort to get them and Lucifer to make up via Levi’s game, Mammon feels his chest warm in fondness for his silly human. _How stupid to get caught._ Mammon smiles ruefully.

But when Barbatos tells them about MC’s lifeless body twisted in a way human joints didn’t bend in the direction of, tossed to their feet for them to look at, Mammon felt his body go rigid and cold. He feels sick at the thought. And he feels even sicker when Barbatos tells them that it was Belphegor that did it. Barbatos didn’t even look like he felt bad when he said it. Of course, he knew it would happen. He’d probably _seen_ that it would happen and it made Mammon angry that Barbatos still let it happen.

Mammon looks around him at his brothers, watching their reactions, and he feels annoyed. Almost every single one of them save for himself and Asmodeus have all exposed their demon forms to MC to threaten them. They’ve all put MC in danger just by being angry at some point due to their uncontrolled rage. Mammon feels the greed bubble in him, wanting to keep even the feeling of worrying about MC, feeling the dread about what happened to MC, and the very idea of MC all to himself. But arguably, this wasn’t greed but protectiveness. 

> “You should have let me come.” Mammon’s voice is low but hard. “I told you, you can’t send them back alone!”
> 
> “Mammon…” Asmo whimpers. For the first time, he’s scared of what Mammon might say.
> 
> “No, this isn’t right!” Mammon snaps. “I’m supposed--” Before he can stop himself, Mammon feels himself begin to cry. “To protect them… I’m supposed…”

The sight of Mammon crying breaks Lucifer’s heart. He’s supposed to protect his brothers but how does he protect them from what eats them from the inside? How can he get rid of something he can’t even touch? _How can he bring MC back?_

> “You said MC’s alive.” Satan says, voice cutting through Mammon’s sobs. “What did you mean by that?”
> 
> “As I said, Mammon is right.” Barbatos smiles a little, happy to see that Satan is seeing sense. “When he said he can still feel MC, he’s not wrong.”
> 
> “I don’t understand…” Levi begins. “If you’re saying MC died but is also alive... then there are two MCs?”
> 
> “Wait!” Satan suddenly chimed in, sharing a look with Levi. ‘ _It’s possible’_ is what they both read from each other’s expressions. “Of course…” Satan mumbles. “Sending our MC back in time doesn’t displace the past MC.”

> “There would just be two MCs in one timeline…” Levi continues. He’s found this a bit amusing now as it reminds him of one of his games where the protagonist had to use a device to go back in time to fix a mistake.
> 
> “But which one died?” Asmodeus asks the big question.

The brothers share looks with each other. It’s ridiculous to even root for their MC because past MC was still _their_ MC. The mental debate made Beel feel uncomfortable and guilty.

> “Okay so… bring them back to the present.” Mammon finally speaks up again, eyes red from him continuously trying to wipe his tears away before they even trickle down his cheeks. “This is the _present,_ the one that should move forward. MC belongs here.”

This is when Barbatos frowns. He really wishes he could make this easier but in the past 3 days, not having MC knock on the door they used to travel back in time really set him off on edge, too. Barbatos was worried MC might have forgotten that that was the rule; that if they wanted to return, they should knock on the door they used to enter the past. He thought it was a rather simple reminder… but then he remembers.

MC chose to stay.

> “I can’t.” is all that Barbatos says.

> “Like hell you can’t!” Mammon reiterates. “What the hell does that mean--you can’t?”

This time Mammon is too fast for Lucifer to stop and in a flash, Mammon is in his demon form snarling. Mammon makes for Barbatos but Beel recovers from the shock of Mammon actually moving to lash out and successfully manages to pull him back and restrain him, heavy arm wrapping around his older brother’s chest. Beel winces at how hot Mammon’s skin feels. _So this is what it’s like for him to lose control..._

Mammon is only angry now. There’s no room for understanding anything anymore. He only feels anger towards Barbatos for sending MC to the past in the first place; angry at Diavolo for even insisting that MC go through it alone. Angry at Lucifer for not protesting as hard as he could. Mammon feels angry at himself for letting them go; angry at MC for saying yes… for always wanting to do the right thing. It made Mammon feel sick. MC is so good and it makes him want to throw up.

> “I can’t bring them back because they chose to stay.” Barbatos concludes.

As if something landed on the floor and broke into pieces, the brothers remained silent and unmoving. Suddenly, Beelzebub feels Mammon grow dramatically limp in his hold and before he realizes it, Mammon crashes to the ground knees first. This time, Mammon doesn’t even cry, sob, or whimper. He doesn’t even make any sounds.

Asmodeus kneels beside Mammon and places a hand on his shoulder. Asmo knows, being the Avatar of Lust and getting involved with demons and turning some of them down, what rejection looks like and this was it. Mammon tries to focus his attention on the weight of Asmo’s hand on his shoulder to distract himself from the hundreds of thoughts that bounced off of the walls of his mind but he’s failing. Right now the only thing he’s thinking about is that MC decidedly left him behind. He knows how unfair it is to phrase that way because he knows MC did what they did in order to do the right thing. MC never failed in that area.

But he can’t help himself.

 _Couldn’t they do the right thing by my side?_ Mammon thought to himself. _I promise I’ll be more helpful just please come back to me. Come back._ Mammon closed his eyes, biting down hard on nothing.

> “Technically, it means that the MC that died was the past MC and not your MC.” Diavolo tried to explain as he watched Mammon, waiting to detect even a hint of movement from him. He could feel the misery wafting off of Mammon’s form.
> 
> “So, MC replaced the past MC that died?” Lucifer asked. “Why?”

Barbatos merely looks at Lucifer, willing him to realize the answer himself. And sure enough, as if he could see the words painted on Barbatos’s face, Lucifer realizes it. Lucifer looks down to Mammon again and feels his heart break even more. _For you,_ Lucifer thought. _They stayed for you._

The moment Lucifer turns to look at Mammon, the others do, too. And they all realize the reason in an instant. Levi feels a strong jealousy settle in his stomach at the thought that MC tended to someone other than him… than them. Even though he felt ridiculous about it, he felt jealous of his past self that he gets to spend his time with MC. Asmodeus feels the same way and so does Beel and Satan. Even Lucifer feels defeated by himself because of this strange fact. But all of them can agree that it must be hardest on Mammon.

Mammon feels betrayed and yet grateful to MC. _Thank you,_ he quietly whispers to the corners of his mind. _For staying with my past self and never letting him experience even more than a second’s worth of loss and pain._ And in that moment, Mammon finally let his sobs out. “Fine.” he yields, letting his tears take over and the soft whimpers escape his lips. “Okay…” he says again.

Mammon feels physically too weak to get up or to say something in protest or to make further demands. Right now, he just wanted to go back to the House of Lamentation and go to MC’s room and sink into their sheets and wrap himself with their blankets and be lulled to sleep by MC’s comforting scent and lingering energy.

> “Mammon…” Lucifer calls on him.

Mammon looks up at him now and the look on his face makes everyone silent. Mammon was still kneeling on the floor, arms dead by his sides, and still in his demon form. Mammon’s eyes looked hollow as tears fell from them with his mouth slightly open as he breathed harshly, chest dramatically rising and falling.

Lucifer was eerily reminded of their fall from the Celestial Realm. Mammon wore the same expression and now he can say Mammon has only ever cried two times.

> “You know what?” Mammon stares at Lucifer. “When you froze my card, I acted like it was the end of the world for me. Damn, look at me now.”

No one answered. No one had the strength. They all just let Mammon say what he needed to say.

> “Wow…” Mammon weakly chuckles before his fake mirth melted into a breakdown. “I’m a different kind of broke now!” Mammon said in a voice that was meant to be sarcastic but he couldn’t keep up the act and suddenly broke into harsher sobs.

Asmodeus couldn’t take it. He pulled Mammon to his chest and hugged him as tight as he could. Silently willing the pain to go away. “Wh-What now?” Asmo chokes out.

Lucifer didn’t even realize he was crying until he felt his tears on his face.

> “We go home.”

**Author's Note:**

> hello AO3! this is the first time I've posted something on here haha,, i hope this is received well hhh
> 
> also kdjnkv please i love mammon with all my heart i dont want him to cry in canon (pls game devs return MC to mammon)


End file.
